Vacuum steam-heating system



July 20 1926. 1,593,131

F. H. MONTREUIL VACUUM STEAM HEATING $YSTEM Filed Feb. 5. 1925 II If lnvenfor,

Fran/r l1. Moflfreail uv/arb Patented July 20, 1926.

FRANK H. MONTREUIL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WARREN WEBSTER &

COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VACUUM STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

Application filed February 5, 1925. Serial No. 6,932.

The object of my invention is to provide ac'onstruction in a vacuum system o't'st'eain heatii g which will insure the removal of theai atei of" condensation "from" the steam 6 supply niain and cause it to be disoharge'd through the retuin pipe ullder the influence f the partial Vtc uu ni in a substantially silent inaiinei. I f i 'linthe usual construction of vacuuii'l heating systems, it is sometimes necessary; .oii account 'ofthe grade of the land upon which tlie' bui1cling is erected, to keepthe distant end of thefvacuui'n' return" main slightly higheifthan the'end of the steam 'niaii of thesystem and', at the same time, to'cau se the water o f condensation from" thesteaiii 111 2111; to be removed through the vacuum returii inain, said Water of condensation being transferred from the' steani main througha suitable trap and lifted to the desired height, whereby itni'ay be delivefed into the retuiaihiain and flow; by gravity; to the place I of discharge. When thermostatic ti'jap's are used on eachof the i'adiatorsas :un its of i'adiation; said traps are Wide opeil when said radiators OIiLUll'CS of radiation cold, hut upon starting: the heating stem-by the admission of steam to the i'ald iatois '01" units of radiation, it' is cust'oi a jto first put the vacuum pump or'it's equitaleilt into opei-atioii to create in the Tet tu'ii pipes of the system a partial vecuuni and theifeby Withdraw the air froth the Pa diators or units of rediation and the eturh vidod' is quickly coniiiiunicated "from the return pipes through the radiators or units of radiation to the supply pipeor pipes and the'deg'ree ofthe Vacuum is at fifst'suhstam :t ially the sanie both the and fe am; sides 01 the system. Under these condi ti oiis, thei'l is practically no d i iler eiit ia l pifesfsu re between the supplypipe 'and {the vacuum i'etui'n pipef llliii the "steani is mime; ito the supply inaih 's, the condense Clo h tliliiii place said 1'1 ij11s ;md ;1-1 b inch ipe s leading to the radiators flows, g yai-ityftt i the' 'lower paiits of saidlpipes mil 'c'ollects: at places 'Itheiein .ivhei'e', it be Automatically ieinovedQl fThe I'co i densa; tioiiiiiiill ac'eui11ulate in: thef'supplyi pipes at these pjeifljes .r c ollectinimus 'rein'oi ed' di i Piilndltranste 'red to the acumnrepern ii'iiai i, thi-ough} a steani trap which}p'e'r'n' i-ts thepiissa ge of the Water but prevents the pipes ot'lthe system. 7 Tlie'vacuum thus pro passage. of steam, and the discharge from said tr'zip is" elevatedfthrough, a lift pipe end de'livefe'd into the 'vacu'u'ni 'r'et'urn main iindei the iiifiuenceof tlief'part'ialVacuum theiih." In my a pztmms 'of this cha acter," the Water of coi'ideiisatioh'; which collects "in the" lift pipe Between the trap and the'velcuuin ieturn main; is i'causedto surge beck iindfoith in its' efi ortftdri'se 'ffoln the trap and dischaf'geihtoi'the 'Vacuuin "inain, this discharge being vefy'in'aterially interfered with owing tc; the 'f'act that the trap is "so arranged 'astoseal the lo'wefen'd of the'd'is charge "pipeii oni "draining itselfexcept u'n de'r the" influence of thepartiaI vacuum; an consequently the Water in said pipe "is in constant 'con'in'iotionj and "especially when in excessive amounts, ,caiiSeS"objectionable WaterhamiiieI'ing "f j The object'of my present "ihipfot 'ementis to provide a: 'c'onstfuctioiifwhereby "them; ee of onuefisatibn 1 from thef'steam supply main my pass throughfthetihp and into thevacuuii fet'ufn hia'ih at a mwemevel thanfthe "trapfi'vlierebji the" discharge pipe from the m1 dis "capable of chaining-itself into the vacuum" main theivatef'thus delivered into j'the i acuul'ii inain' is coinniin Q'led with t'va'tei' coiidensati'oii received from the 'fetu'i ii' pipes of the system as cel lections at the lower partof the -re'turifi pipes WllGJG they ('zc'iifi'ie'ct with thevac'uum' return main and from ivhich they are lifted by the coiiibined actiohof 't'h'e vacuumand the ail" ti'oni "the 'iadiafor's "which cooperates in tile "lift to i'educethe ii eight-ot'the static head ot't'he fwatef oil'" co1'1densati0n,' and thereby aidiii its rino al unaer' the ihflu eiice of the partial 'ifa'cuuni', the construction bl'eiiig such that the'pipe 'leadingifrom the 9 Hap tothe e'tufii'inain is' 'substajntially clear "of surging. water of coifdei i's'atioii and hence iiicapableo'f pi'bd icin'g Water 'h'ai'hinering. My invention 'aIs'o cQnsists of improvenients hereinafter describe whereby {the above, il/Shtuld l1$1llll=atf6 tl ainedQsaid inip'px e oin'pi isii iizi ti'oh aiid' conabinaltif fully fdesci ibe'd "he A ti'culailj defih in the clef 111;" fl ge d e i ii gfi a steam engine, as the case may be, and said main terminates in a T connection 4 from the upper part of which the steam riser 3 extends, said riser provided with horizontal branch pipes, such as indicated at 5, from which smaller risers 6 extend for connection with the control valve 8 for regulating the admission of steam to the radiator 7.

14 represents the vacuum return main in which a partial vacuum is maintained by a suitable vacuum pump or other means 15. The vacuum main 1 1 is slightly inclined from its end adjacent to the steam riser 3 downwardly toward the vacuum creating means, so that the water of condensation may flow by gravity. The end of the return main let adjacent to the steam riser 3 con nects with the return riser 11' through a loop composed of vertical pipe 13 and horizontal pipe 12, the latter connecting with the bottom of the return riser 11. The return riser 11 connects with the radiators by branch pipes 10 which communicate with the discharge orifices of the radiators through thermostatic or other automatic valves t) which are so constructed that they permit the passage of water and air but prevent the escape of steam from the radiators. The air which is liberated in the radiators by the condensation of the steam, passes with the water of condensation into the return riser 11 and the water of condensation therefrom collects in the pipe 12 and flows to the bottom of the vertical pipe 13 which acts as a lift under the influence of the vacuum in the return main 14.

The water of condensation from the steam supply main 2 and riser 3 collects in. the bottom of the T' fitting i and passes there from through a drip pipe 16' delivering into a steam trap 17 o 1 any suitable construe tion which permits the. passage of water but restricts the escape of steam. Traps of this nature are sometimes provided with auto matic valves which also permit the passage of all while preventing the passage of steam, such, for example, as is commercially known on the market as the. Webster heavy duty trap, but I d not. restrict myself to any particular construction of trap. The water of condensation passing from this trap 17 fiows, by gravity, through a pipe 18 and discharges into the lift pipe 13, and in this manner is delivered from the trap into the returns.

The lifting of the Water of condensation in the vertical pipe 13 is facilitated by the intermingling of the air which is received from the heat-in system and. enters with the water into the lower part of said lift pipe 13, and thereby, as before stated, lightens the water column rising in said lift pipe. Furthermore, as said lift pipe 13 is open at the top into the return main 14 and open in the bottom into the return pipe 12, it is manifest that there is no closure of said pipe structure which would cause a water hammering. It is manifest that there is no opportunity for collections of water to remain in pipe 18 and consequently no water hammering therein can occur.

While I have illustrated the steam and return risers in connection with a single radiator, it will be understood that there may be any number of radiators and any of the usual piping arrangements to suit the requirements of the buildings, and I, there fore, do not limit myself in any respect as to the general lay out of the vacuum steam heating apparatus, my invention being confined to the particula" means for transfen ring the water of condensation from the steam supply main to the vacuum return main in substantially the manner shown and with the avoidance of water hammering.

While, in the apparatus as illustrated in the drawing, I have preferred to arrange for the discharge of the water from the pipe 18 directly into the lift pipe 13 so as to have the advantage of the suction produced by the upward rising of the water and air in said lift pipe, nevertheless, it will suiiice for the purposes of, my invention, broadly considered, that the water from the trap 17 shall be discharged by gravity into the return piping which extends as a downward loop below the supply pipe and trap.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I d not restrict myself to the details, as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vacuum steam heating apparatus, the combination of a steam supply main, a vacuum return main. steam and return risers, a radiator or heating unit receiving steam from the steam riser and delivering water of condensation and air into the return riser, a vertical lift pipe extending from the bottom of the return riser and connecting at its top with the return main, means for maintaining a partial vacuum in the return main and for causing the water of condensation to rise in the lift pipe, a drip from the steam supply main and riser, a steam trap into which the drip discharges for permitting the discharge of water while preventing the escape of steam, and a discharge pipe. from the trap for discharging the water therefrom into the lift pipe by gravity, whereby the water of condensation from the steam main and riser is delivered into the return main with the avoidance of water hammering.

2. In a vacuum steam heating apparatus, the combination of a steam supply main, a vacuum return main, steam and return risers, a radiator or heating unit receiving steam from the steam riser and delivering Water of condensation and air into the return riser, a downwardly extending looped piping between the return riser and the return main and extending below the level of the steam supply main, a drip for water 15 of condensation from the steam supply main and riser, a steam trap for permitting the passage of water from the drip pipe while preventing the passage of steam, and a pipe connection from the discharge of the steam trap for permitting the water therefrom to flow by gravity into the looped piping at a level below the trap and steam supply main, whereby the water of condensation from the steam main and riser is delivered into the return main with the avoidance of water hammering.

In testimony of which invention, I here unto set my hand.

FRANK H. MONTREUIL. 

